


The Kitten Who Could Fly & The Angel Who Gives Her Wings

by GirlslikeGirls



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anxiety, As mysterious as you can be in a cheer uniform, Bullying, Except Yamaguchi, F/F, F/M, Genderswap, Kuroo Asahi Iwa and Kyotani are guys, Kuroo is the mysterious badass, Kuroo makes it better, May add more ships as the story progresses, Past/Referenced Child Abuse, Poor baby Kenma, Social Anxiety, Tsukki hates everything, Yamaguchi is okay, cheerleading! au, most characters are girls, will add more characters as they come in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-10-23 09:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10716765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlslikeGirls/pseuds/GirlslikeGirls
Summary: Kenma is deathly afraid of crowds and physical contact due to issues from her past. Her best friend Shoyo knows this. However when faced with the Karasuno cheerleading club closing due to lack of interest, Shoyo is desperate to get Kenma to join. Little did Kenma know, maybe the team is just what she needed.Tetsurou is just trying to get through the year, graduate and leave. He's not passionate at all about cheerleading, that is, until he sees the tiny ombre girl standing uncomfortably in the corner. She looks beautiful, but she won't say a word. Tetsurou is determined to make her open up.Summary sucks, hopefully you all think the story is better.





	1. Why can't I just play my game?

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first multi-chap story and my first one for Haikyuu!! I love cheerleading (I'm a flyer) and so I thought why not have them do it too. Hopefully you guys like it!!! I'll try to update regularly but I work 40 hours a week and practice when I don't so we'll see how it goes! Oh, and while I don't have a dedicated beta, my friends and coworkers love proofreading my work.
> 
> PS: KuroKen and TsukiYama are my favorite ships ever so I hope I do them justice!!!

Kenma pushed her long ombre hair off her shoulder as she lifted her 3DS closer to her face. A Pokemon battle had just begun on the screen and she was sending out her strongest team. Just as she was about to release her first attack a loud voice shouted, “Kenma-chan! Watch out!” She looked up, just in time to be knocked to the ground by another girl with bright orange hair. “Ouch…” The girl said, eyes widening as she realized she had just tackled her quiet friend. “I’m sorry Kenma-chan, I was running too fast again.” She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

“It’s…fine,” Kenma said, frowning as she noticed the blood running down her right knee. “Do you have a band-aid by any chance, Shoyo? And you can drop the chan, it’s unnecessary.” The orange haired girl perked up upon hearing her name but deflated again upon seeing the other’s scrapped knee.

“You’re hurt. I’m really sorry.” Shoyo reached into her bag and pulled out a box of bright pink band-aids. She took one out and handed it to Kenma. Suddenly her eyes lit up again. “Oh! Kenma-chan, I was actually looking for you! The cheerleading team needs more people on it!” Kenma’s cat-like golden eyes which had previously been focused on placing the garish colored band-aid on her knee, snapped up to the orange haired girl’s face.

“No. Too many people. Too” Kenma shuddered lightly, “cheery.”

“Nah, you’d be great at it! You’re already super athletic, you’d just need to learn the technical stuff.”

“Too much smiling.” Kenma, having cleaned up her leg, stood and brushed off her uniform skirt. “Not interested.” She was about to walk away when two small hands attached themselves to her ankle.

“Please Kenma!!! We really need more people. Daichi-san said our club is gonna close if we don’t!” She was looking up at Kenma with big watery brown eyes.

“I don’t know anything about cheerleading!” Kenma was getting annoyed now but she could also feel her resolve wavering.

“It’s not that hard and we have a ton of people who can teach you! Please Kenma-chan, you know I don’t ask for a lot.” Kenma rolled her eyes at that. Shoyo asked for literally everything. But she couldn’t deny the girl when she looked so pitiful right?

“I’ll watch. Then we’ll see.” Shoyo’s eyes sparkled with glee.

“Really?!” At Kenma’s hesitant nod, she jumped to her feet with a giant grin. “Kageyama, did you hear that?! I found someone before you did! Ha-Ha! I win!” Kenma’s eyes darted back and forth looking for who the smaller girl was shouting at. She got her answer in the form of a tall black haired girl with an ever-present scowl.

“Damn it Hinata! We just got the message 10 minutes ago! How did you already find someone?” The girl ran up and glared at Shoyo.

“You were just too slow, Tobio-chan!” The short girl said with a smirk.

“TOBIO-CHAN?! Only Oikawa calls me that, and I hate that slut!” The black-haired girl suddenly looked much angrier, as though that one nickname was enough to raise all hell. As the two started to bicker back and forth, Kenma picked up her stuff. Realizing that neither noticed her moving, she turned toward the entrance to her school and bolted inside.

Once inside the school, Kenma took a deep breath. Shoyo was tiring enough, but when she got around Kageyama, it was exhausting. Walking through the hallways was much easier. She pulled out her headphones and plugged them into her ipod, turning the music up loud enough to drown everything else out. As she moved through the halls she was paying attention to her phone, so she didn’t notice the person in front of her until they had already collided. “I’m sorry,” Kenma started to say, before lifting her head and noticing that she had to look up, way up, to see the face of the girl she bumped into.

“Watch where you’re going,” the tall blond who she had hit said grumpily. The tiny, mousey brunette next to her piped up after noticing Kenma flinch at the blond’s harsh tone.

“Tsukki, be nice. You’re scaring people again,” she said. The blond frowned and looked at the brunette, taking in her insistent and determined look, before turning her eyes toward the ombre haired girl…or rather where she was.

“Yamaguchi where’d she go?”

“Huh?” the brunette looked around. “She must have left.”

“Oh well, let’s keep going.”

“Lead the way Tsukki!”


	2. I have to do that?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma decides to watch the practice. Typical Haikyuu craziness ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo gets introduced!!! Well...kinda. He gets a bit of a mention but we're still all about Kenma. Lots of Yamaguchi in this chap because outside of Kenma and Kuroo, Yama's my fave. Ps: Sorry for being slow on this chapter! My new beta - Bri - decided to take a vacation and so it took me ages to find someone to help me proofread. Gomen!!! Won't happen again (hopefully) Everyone who commented or left kudos, you guys are awesome and make my day.

Upon entering the gym, Kenma was assaulted with a barrage of colors and sounds. Some people were stretching, others were warming up, and still others were practicing. Everyone was wearing bright colored practice clothes and a loud pop song played on the speakers set up near the door. The ombre haired girl frowned, knowing now how bad of an idea this was. She couldn’t handle loud social environments, they made her itchy. She scratched her arms uncomfortably as she edged along the wall trying to remain unnoticed on her way to the stands. Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans.

“KENMA!!! YOU MADE IT!!” Shoyo said bounding over to her. The small girl’s bright orange ponytail bobbed up and down with each step.

“Y-yeah, I’m here,” Kenma said, trying and failing to keep her voice from shaking.

“Are you okay? You look kinda pale…” Shoyo’s grin faded into a frown of concern.

“You know what’s wrong,” Kenma grits out, glowering at the small girl before shivering again. 

“God, I hate crowds.” Shoyo’s head drooped at that, her entire body seeming to deflate.

“I shouldn’t have asked you to come, Kenma, I’m sorry. You can leave if you want.”

Kenma heaved a shaky sigh. “No, I-I’ll stay. I already told you I’d be here. After all,” she forced a smile, “it’s only for an hour right?”

“Right!” Shoyo said, her grin returning. “Thanks Kenma. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

“KARASUNO CHEER TEAM, LINE UP!” A voice rang out.

“That’s my cue! Bye Kenma,” Shoyo said.

“Bye.” Upon reaching the stands, Kenma sat down and watched as a group of about 15 people lined up in front of a strong looking brunette girl with a megaphone. Next to her stood a slightly shorter silver haired girl with a clipboard. In the line, Kenma spotted an angry looking Kageyama standing next to a bouncing Shoyo along with the tall blond and her mousey friend from earlier. At the end of the line however, Kenma’s eyes stopped. Standing there was a guy she had seen before, he was probably in her class. He was tall, that’s for sure, with messy black hair and cat-like eyes. He stood with an easy confidence, something Kenma silently envied. Suddenly, he looked her way and the two locked eyes. He smirked and gave her a wink while Kenma blushed brightly before looking down.

“…And so, let’s get started with some jump drills. Everyone spread out!” The girl with the megaphone, obviously the captain, shouted as the group spread out in a window formation.

“Daichi-san! Daichi-san!” Shoyo said bouncing up and down. The girl with the megaphone looked at the bright orange haired girl. ‘Ah’ Kenma thought. ‘So Daichi must be the captain.’

“Yes Hinata?”

“Can someone demonstrate the jumps before we do them? That way the newer people will know what they are!”

“I think that’s a great idea! What do you think Suga?” The silver haired girl that had just put down the clipboard turned to Daichi with a smile.

“Sounds good to me.” She turned toward the rest of the group. “Don’t forget to count your jumps! I want to hear everyone shouting it with a smile!”

“Then it’s settled,” Daichi said. A groan was heard from near the middle of the group. “Tsukishima, if I don’t hear your voice, everyone will be doing sprints after practice.”

“Yes Daichi,” The tall blond Kenma had recognized from before sighed out.

“Tsukishima, you better not mess this up for us,” Kageyama ground out. The blond just rolled her eyes in response. Suga glared at the two, who immediately shut up and looked forward. The vice-captain must be scarier than Kenma originally thought.

“Let’s start easy with thirty toe touches!” Daichi shouted. “Suga, if you will.”

The vice-captain smiled and clasped her hands together, raising them above her head before swinging them in a downward arc and then up to touch her toes as she did a split in the air. Kenma was almost scared to blink with how fast the jump occurred. “Got it?” Suga asked afterward. After some scattered nods, Daichi picked up the megaphone again.

“Okay! Let’s start counting!” She turned to face the stands along with everyone else, as did Suga, and the group started jumping, shouting the counts as they went. It was then that Kenma realized that Daichi and Suga had been running the practice. ‘Where’s the coach?’ She thought to herself. As if on cue, the doors opened and a man and a woman ran inside, the latter panting heavily while the other just chuckled.

“Thanks for starting practice for us girls,” the man said nodding to Daichi and Suga after the group finished the jumps. “Takeda got distracted grading papers again,” he said, pointing to the panting dark haired woman who shot him a glare.

“Right, because that’s what you two were doing, ‘grading papers’,” a girl with wavy brown hair said haughtily.

“Oikawa you’ve just earned yourself an extra twenty push-ups after practice,” the man said as Takeda blushed furiously.

“But Coach Ukai,” Oikawa whined.

“Shut up before he makes it forty,” a guy with short spiky black hair said gruffly.

“Yes Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pouted, but said no more on the matter.

“Thank you Iwaizumi,” Takeda said, straightening up.

“Okay, since you guys already did toe touches, lets continue with hurkies,” Coach Ukai said. Suga demonstrated the jump and the group counted off thirty. Kenma was amazed by how in sync the group was. It looked…fun. After a couple more sets of different jumps, Ukai again addressed the squad.

“Anyone who has a full stunt group please go practice your basic stunts. Those who are new or have an empty spot in your group please come see me and Takeda. Kenma watched as the groups dispersed before noticing that the black haired woman, Takeda, was looking straight at her.

“Um, hi. What’s your name sweetheart?” Takeda said while approaching her slowly.

“I’m K-Kozume Kenma mam,” Kenma said, once again shaking slightly at being spoken to.

“I remember Hinata telling me a friend was coming to watch today. Are you her?”

“Yes mam, that’s me.”

“What do you think so far?”

“Everyone seems v-very in sync,” Kenma said, letting her amazement seep through. “They also seem to be really enjoying it.”

“It is a very fun sport,” Takeda smiled at her. “I have a question for you. We have one extra spot on the team that we really need to fill. I don’t need a definite answer today, but would you at least be willing to stand in for today?” Kenma’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to do this. Watching was one thing, but actually participating was something else entirely. She felt her resolve wavering however as she looked at Takeda’s pleading face, very similar to Shoyo’s.

“I guess so, but just for today,” Kenma said. “I don’t have my gym clothes though.” Takeda, who had beamed at Kenma’s agreement, furrowed her brow at the new issue.

“You’re pretty small…I think Yamaguchi’s clothes could fit you.” Takeda’s smile returned. “Yamaguchi! Can you come here please?”

“Hai, Takeda-sensei!” The mousey brunette from earlier shouted. Kenma watched as the people holding her up popped her into the air. She did a back tuck before landing in her groups’ arms. Once she was back on the ground, she ran over. “What do you need?” She then noticed Kenma there and her eyes sparkled with recognition. “You’re the girl with the headphones from earlier. Tsukki says she’s sorry okay? She can come off kinda gruff sometimes, but she’s a big softie at heart.”

“Shut up Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima said from where she had gone to get water. Yamaguchi blushed upon hearing this.

“Sorry Tsukki.”

“Anyway,” Takeda said. “This is Kenma. She’s gonna give our squad a test run today. The only thing is that she doesn’t have any gym clothes. Can you help us out?” The brunette pondered for a moment before nodding with a smile.

“Yeah, I have another practice outfit in my locker,” she said. “I hope it fits.” She eyed Kenma’s ample chest as she said this, causing the ombre-haired girl to self-consciously cover it.

“Good! Let’s give it a shot.” Takeda said. Yamaguchi then lead the way to the locker room where she gave Kenma the outfit. She also found an empty locker where Kenma could put her stuff. Luckily, Yamaguchi’s clothes fit, even if they were a bit tight in the chest. Walking back out, the tiny brunette pulled a hairtie off her wrist and handed Kenma a pair of sneakers.

“You wear sevens for shoes right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good then those should fit. They’re special practice shoes.” Yamaguchi seemed proud to be sharing all of her stuff with someone. Kenma thanked her and slipped on the shoes before pulling her hair back. “There! Now you look like a real cheerleader!” Yamaguchi said brightly. She pushed open the door to the gym again and bounced out before turning to look at Kenma who had paled at the thought of actually participating. Yama’s smile softened in understanding. “Don’t worry, I know it’s scary your first time. Everybody’s really nice and nobody’s gonna judge you okay?”

Kenma nodded and smiled softly. “Th-thank you.” She willed her legs to move again, and the two stepped out. When the two got back over to Takeda, Yamaguchi gave the teacher a nod before running back to her own stunt group. Kenma looked up at the teacher.

“Alright, I’m gonna start you out slow with one of our third years. She’s gonna show you all the basics. Suga!” The silver haired girl looked up after completing a stunt with her group. She smiled warmly as she walked over to Takeda and Kenma. “Suga, this is Kozume Kenma, she’s going to be sitting in today to see if she wants to join the squad. Kozume, this is Sugawara Koushi, our vice-captain. Practice hard!” And with that, Takeda walked away to go observe one of the other groups.

“Well Kozume-chan. Shall we get started?” Suga said, her voice like honey. She reached out a hand to shake, causing Kenma’s breathing to pick up.

“Yes, l-lets. And you can c-call me Kenma. No chan.” Suga seemed to pick up on her anxiety and her bright smile softened a bit.

“No need to be afraid Kenma. Everyone’s really nice here, like a family.”

“O-okay then,” Kenma sighed, still apprehensive.

“Based on your size, you’re probably gonna fly.”

“W-what?!” Kenma choked out. Suga’s eyes widened as she took in Kenma’s fearful expression.

“Don’t worry, I’ve heard it’s not that scary. Look!” She pointed over at Yamaguchi’s group. Kenma watched as the brown haired girl got lifted in to the air, moving her right leg up into a standing split, her face turned toward the ceiling with a smile. Three others were holding her up, one on each side and one in the back.

“Yama, you wanna try the back tuck again?” The blond, Tsukishima, said to the girl above her.

“Yeah, I over-rotated a bit last time.”

“Okay. Ready, and!” They popped her up, Yamaguchi keeping her legs straight as she pulled them into her chest and spun backward. She frowned as she felt herself moving backward. Her group quickly compensated however and moved to catch her, placing her back on the ground safely. Yamaguchi reached a hand up and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

“My bad guys, I guess I have to practice more.”

“See?” Kenma’s eyes were pulled back to Suga, who was looking upon the scene with a smile. “Even if you mess up, your team is here to catch you.”

“R-right.” Kenma nodded, still a little shaky. ‘It’s just for the rest of the hour, for Shoyo,’ she thought. She steeled herself before looking back to Suga. “Who would be my group?”

“Them.” Suga pointed to a group of three, two girls and one guy. One girl, with two toned silver and black hair was bouncing excitedly around the other girl who was frowning softly at the end of her long black ponytail. The guy seemed to be egging the energetic one on. All of the air whooshed out of Kenma as she looked at the guy. It was the same black haired guy that had winked at her earlier! “The two toned one is Bokuto Koutarou, and the black haired girl is Akaashi Keiji. Those are your bases, the ones who will be on each side of you.”

“A-and the guy?”

“That’s your backspot. He’s the most important person in the group for making sure you don’t get hurt. His name is Kuroo Tetsurou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will make a schedule for posting soon so hopefully you'll all be seeing chapters more often. Like I said at the beginning comments really do make my day and give me the motivation to continue writing. It's hard sometimes because I have a lot of anxiety similar to Kenma in this. Thanks for all your support :)


	3. I-I'm scared you know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma heads home after her first day of practice. She isn't sure if she wants to join or not. Her family helps her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So......yeah. I had this ready for over a week. I'M SO SORRY!!!!!! I was moving and things got complicated and then I got sick...yeah I'm a terrible person and you all should hate me. Plus, I have to update the tags again. I added more characters and gave some insight into Kenma's past and home situation. Sorry if you don't like OCs, I just thought they were necessary to keep the story moving. Also I messed with characters ages a bit so that things make sense. If you want a more concrete list let me know and I'll write one up. I hope you all enjoy and the Kudos and comments really make my day!!!!!
> 
> (OH, and italics = thoughts. Though I only use them once here)

“So, what did you think of your first day?” Shoyo said as her and Kenma walked home.

“It’s really…peppy,” Kenma replied. “Everyone’s very loud.”

“It’s how we show SPIRIT!!!” Shoyo shouted excitedly. Kenma flinched at the sudden noise, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Anyway, do you think you’re gonna stay? We really enjoyed having you around.” Kenma thought about it. The practice, while anxiety provoking at first, had actually been kind of fun. Sugawara-san was a very kind teacher and patient with Kenma’s lack of stamina. Yamaguchi-chan was nice too, she had giggled happily when Kenma returned the practice clothes to her, insisting that there was no need for Kenma to wash them. The others though…

“I’m not sure. Most of it is okay but,” the ombre-haired girl shivered. “Flying is scary.”

“Yeah I guess it’s a little intimidating your first time.”

“I almost kicked Bokuto-san in the face.”

“Yeah…but she wasn’t mad or anything. She was laughing.” It was true. After learning some basic poses and jumps Suga had introduced Kenma to her stunt group. While Akaashi politely introduced herself, Bokuto loudly gave her name, startling the much smaller girl. When it came time to be introduced to Kuroo, Kenma just blurted out that they were in the same class and already knew each other’s names. Kuroo had raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his smirk still firmly in place. After much anxiety around anyone in group touching Kenma (especially Kuroo who was slapped twice), they had tried to do a basic high-V stunt. It looked good when she was stationary, but when she was thrown for the dismount, Kenma panicked and flailed, nearly kicking Bokuto in the face as the group moved to catch her. Kenma was mortified while both Bokuto and Kuroo were giggling incessantly. When Kenma started looking like she was going to cry, Akaashi said not to worry and noted that every flyer has trouble getting used to trusting a new group, especially when they’re new. She said they’d get it with time. Needless to say, they didn’t try anymore stunts.

“I-I don’t know.”

“If you don’t want to, I understand. You just looked like you were having fun over there.” Shoyo’s voice sounded wistful, like she was imaging Kenma’s face. The older girl turned to comment before noticing that they were outside the orange haired girl’s house.

“I’ll think about it,” Kenma finally stated. Shoyo’s eyes brightened.

“Really?!? Yay!!! Okay, bye bye Kenma!” The smaller girl bounced up and down a bit before giving Kenma a big hug, giggling as the taller stiffened. She then waved with a bright smile and disappeared into the house. Kenma sighed once alone, taking in the homey feel Shoyo’s house had. It looked like a lot of love flourished there. She pulled out her phone to check the clock, 17:45 showing in tiny white letters in the corner of the screen.

“Shit,” Kenma breathed. She felt her heartbeat accelerate in fear as she started towards her home. _In, out. In, out. Breathe Kenma, you’re okay. Daishou and Dad were arrested years ago, we’re fine. They can’t hurt you anymore._ The mantra of repeating thoughts helped to steady her stuttering heart a bit so she could focus on her surroundings. Her eyes glimmered and she let out a rather embarrassing squeak of relief when the small white familiar house came into view. ‘Hanabi House’ regaled the sign on the door. To outsiders it was a halfway house for kids who couldn’t find a place in the foster care system. To Kenma and the others who lived there, it was home. “Tadaima,” the girl said upon entering.

“Ken-chan! Ken-chan! Okaeri!” A tall silver haired boy darted out into the hall and crushed Kenma in a large hug. Kenma froze, all her muscles tightening in fear on instinct as she was lifted off the floor.

“L-L-Lev, p-please put me d-d-down,” she tried to force out. The boy, Lev’s, eyes widened in realization before he set Kenma down and backed up, giving her a wide berth for personal space.

“Sorry, Ken-chan. I got so excited when I saw you that I forgot about the color rules.” The boy’s personality had flipped completely and he now looked close to tears. “Please don’t hate me, okay?” Once she calmed down enough to speak, Kenma frowned sympathetically at the boy.

“I don’t hate you Lev, just pay attention to the color board next time.” The boy nodded and the tears dissipated, however his eyes remained dark and sad. Kenma sighed lightly before putting her arms around the boy in a small hug. “It’s okay.”

“Thank you,” he said, happiness returning but now more subdued. “Hanabi-sensei and Yaku-nii made dinner already if you’re hungry.” He gestured to the kitchen. “Mai and Hotaru have probably eaten most of it though.” Kenma nodded, unsurprised. The two twelve year olds always ate a majority of the food at each meal. Everyone knew the reason behind it however, so no one was upset.

“Thanks Lev. Have you started on your homework yet?” She asked the fourteen year old. He shook his head, dejection returning to his face.

“I tried. It was too hard again. I couldn’t slow down long enough to see the questions, and when I did it was just a jumble of letters.”

“Why don’t you try talking to Yaku? He always seems to help you understand the best.”

“Good idea, Ken-chan.” Lev smiles lightly. “I’ll go ask him.” As the boy stumbles away on legs much too long, Kenma toed off her shoes in the doorway. As she moved through the main hallway, she came to a stop in front of a large white board. ‘What Color Are We Today?’ the board displayed in loopy rainbow letters. Underneath was a chart with three colors and a set of magnets with each of the resident’s names on them. The colors represented what kind of day each resident was having and how much physical contact was thus okay. Kenma sighed looking at her magnet sitting firmly in the yellow section – touch okay with permission or my initiation. Her hands shook as she moved it up the board to sit on the line between that and the red section – bad day no touch. She then took in the rest of the magnets. Yaku’s and Lev’s both sat in the green region, making Kenma smile. Mai and Hotaru’s magnets both sat in yellow and a line was drawn between them in green dry erase, meaning that no one could touch but the two of them. This was typical for them as they were the only ones here that were actually related. Kenma’s smile faltered however when she noticed that there was one magnet in the red.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Kenma sighed, before turning away and heading toward the dining room. It was empty, but there was the sound of a sink running in the kitchen next door. Kenma placed her school bag on the table and walked into the kitchen, seeing an older lady of about 65 washing dishes who looked up at the sound of the door.

“Ah Kenma, okaeri,” the woman said gently.

“Tadaima, Hanabi-sensei. No change with Kairi yet?”

“Not yet dear.” Hanabi turned around. “She’s new, so give it time. I believe it took you months before you even said a word to anyone here, let alone accepted any form of contact.” Kenma nodded, looking down. “How was school?”

“It was alright. Shoyo wants me to join cheerleading. I was late because I went to the practice today.” A small smile formed on the older woman’s face, however she kept it muted.

“Were you able to give it a try?”

“Yeah.”

“And how was your anxiety?”

“Fine.” Hanabi raised her eyebrow at the girl’s tone. “Okay,” Kenma admitted. “It was high. That’s why I moved my magnet to the midline between yellow and red.” Hanabi nodded in understanding. It was a new thing, of course it would be overwhelming for the girl.

“What was it like?”

“Loud, bright, scary. Everyone already seemed to be such good friends and liked to touch.” She paused. “But, they were also really nice, and the movements were fun. They seem to trust each other a lot.” A small smile formed on her face.

“Sounds to me like you ended up enjoying it through your anxiety. Maybe it’d be a good outlet for you.”

“I might give it another shot.”

“Just see how the week goes, we’ll re-evaluate then.” Kenma turned to leave when the older lady spoke up again. “Was that the only reason the day went to yellow-red?” The girl stopped before letting her head fall forward, hair coming to hide her face.

“No.” Her voice came out so small she barely heard it herself.

“What happened?”

“There was a boy in my cheerleading group. He...he held me.”

“What do you mean?” Hanabi spoke in a soft voice so as not to startle the girl even more as she continued.

“He was supposed to for stunting because I’m a flyer. When I get tossed into the air it’s his job to catch me and I, well him holding me reminded me of Daishou.”

That caused Hanabi to frown. “What about it felt like Daishou?”

“His arms were strong with fairly large muscles and it felt like I couldn’t move when he held me.” For the umpteenth time that day, Kenma felt her heart rate spike with panic. “I-I mean, I know he’s not Daishou because when I started hyperventilating he let go immediately but…”

“But it was still scary.”Kenma nodded, surprising Hanabi when she walked forward and wrapped her arms around her, pushing her small face into the older woman’s chest. “Touch okay?” Hanabi asked. A muffled sound followed by a nod gave Hanabi permission to wrap one arm around the girl’s back while the other hand carded gently through her hair. She cooed gently to the girl in a motherly way when she felt her shoulders start to shake.

“I’m such a mess.”

“It’s okay to be scared dear, things happen. Now you go upstairs and clean up okay? I made okonomiyaki for dinner. I’ll heat some up for you.” Kenma nodded, wiping her tears after taking a step away. As soon as they were dry, Hanabi watched the younger’s impassive mask slip back into place.

“Lev’s having trouble concentrating again. Morisuke’s helping him with homework.”

“I’ll have to call the psychiatrist again. Thank you for telling me.” Her report given, Kenma turned and left the room, passing the color board again before going up the stairs. She dropped her school bag in her room at the end of the hall before going to take a shower. As the water fell around her, Kenma started to regain her footing. The water was steady, constant. It grounded her. By the time she was finished her anxiety had mostly abated. She changed into her favorite fuzzy zebra-print pajama pants and a black tank top before going down to eat. On her way she passed a door with the name ‘Kairi’ on it in pink bubble letters. She heard small sobs coming out of it, but because it was a red day she couldn’t go inside. ‘It’ll get better,’ she reminded herself before continuing on. After eating and doing her homework she went back towards her room, almost running face first into an apricot haired boy who was also in the hall.

“How’s Lev doing Morisuke?” Kenma asked.

“We finished the work, but it exhausted him. He’s sleeping now.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. Have a test coming up, but nothing I can’t handle.” He smiled. “What about you?”

“Same. Nothing I can’t handle.” As the oldest and the ones who had been in the home the longest, the two had an understanding. Neither discussed their issues with the other and if a breakdown occurred, then once it was over both would pretend nothing happened. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Kenma.”


	4. Bros are great (even when they're girls)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsurou loves his family...most of the time. He also loves Bokuto and Akaashi, though not as much as they love each other.
> 
> One thing he definitely doesn't love?
> 
> Oikawa Tooru. Except even she is purely harmless.
> 
> Also, Noya and Asahi are precious Kouhai that Tetsurou wouldn't trade for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have every right to hate me. I take forever to post a new chapter and it's pure filler. I can't make any excuse for the lateness, but it's a filler because the chap is really a part one of two that I had to break up due to length. I also had to play with some characters ages to make things work properly with how the story flows (let me know if the ages don't make sense and I'll make up a list next chapter.)
> 
> So, why no Kenma in this chapter? This one focuses on Testsurou because right after posting chapter three I read my story summary and realized that my original idea made him a main character as well. So, I needed to bring his story to where we are with Kenma's. The second part of this chap (which should hopefully come out sooner!!!) will be more important and cement Tetsurou's side of his and Kenma's first interactions at practice.
> 
> Also yes, Tetsurou's siblings are Danganronpa 2 characters aged down. I absolutely love that series and decided it would be fun to add some of my fave characters in.
> 
> Last thing I swear: As penance for taking so long for this (and also because it's been on my computer for ages), I've also posted a Kuroken one shot which I hope you can all enjoy. Sorry for taking so long!!! GOMEN READERS!!!!!!!
> 
> See the end notes for a couple comment shout-outs!

“KUROO TETSUROU IF YOU DON’T GET UP RIGHT NOW-”

“I’m up Mom,” 17 year old Kuroo Tetsurou grumbles as he pushes himself into a sitting position. Only 10 more months and I’m free, he told himself. He showered quickly before putting on his school uniform and grabbing his bag along with his cheer duffle. He walked downstairs to pure chaos.

“Ibuki! Give that back!” 7 year old Hiyoko shouted at her older sister.

“It’s not like you can tie the stupid sash anyway. You always beg Mahiru to do it,” the 10 year old snarked back while holding the item in question over a bowl of oatmeal.

“I do not! Mom!”

“Ibuki, give Hiyoko her sash back. Mahiru, sweetie, can you teach her how to tie it herself?” The 12 year old looked up from her camera and gave a small nod.

Meiko Kuroo looked up from the group with an exasperated sigh as she noticed her oldest son had entered the kitchen. “Tetsurou…ah can you please do something about your hair? It’s a mess!” Tetsurou just rolled his eyes before picking up an apple from a bowl in the middle of the table.

“That’s just how my hair looks Mom. Sorry it’s not perfect.” “Not like anything here is,” he added under his breath. “Oh, by the way, I’m studying with Bokuto and Akaashi after practice at Bokuto’s house, so I’m gonna be home late.”

“Tell the owlets I said hi! Kazuichi, we chew our food don’t spit it.” The 5 year old boy grinned maniacally as he spit another mouthful of food on to the table, causing the girls to scream about how gross it was.

Tetsurou took his chance while everyone was distracted to leave the house, practically sprinting down the sidewalk to get away from the madhouse his home was in the mornings. In fact, he was so focused on his escape that he didn’t look where he was going, causing him to crash into someone, sending them sprawling across the grass.  
“I’m so sor-” he started, until he noticed who he ran into. “Oh wait, no I’m not.”

“MEAN Kuroo-chan!” Oikawa Tooru shouted, before she jumped up and smoothed out her skirt, whining dramatically about how messy she now looks.

“Shut up ShittyKawa, you look fine. Stop whining so loudly in the morning.” Tetsurou jumped upon hearing the rough voice of Iwaizumi Hajime, who he now noticed had been standing there the whole time.

“Mean, Iwa-chan! I’m not running into people on the street, so why is it my fault?”

“Because you’re the one getting loud. Now, come on, we don’t want to be late.” Tooru huffed but started walking. “Sorry for bothering you Kuroo.”

“Not a problem, Iwaizumi. Make sure Oiks here keeps her head out of the clouds next time.” He smirks as Tooru opens her mouth to retort before snapping it shut again after a glare from Hajime. Tetsurou started to walk again, thinking the rest would be nice and quiet when suddenly-

“HEY, HEY, HEY!!! TETSUROU MY BRO!!!” A set of gangly long limbs launched itself at Tetsurou, grasping for purchase at his back.

“KOUTAROU MY BROETTE!!!” Tetsurou shouts with a laugh as he maneuvers the tall silverette with black streaks on his back before setting her gently back on the pavement.

“Bokuto-san, Kuroo-san, can you please stop shouting? It’s making my ears bleed.” Another girl with long, black hair said in her soft, deadpan voice.

“Sorry Akaashi.” Both of them bowed their heads as if they were being scolded by a mother.

“So,” Koutarou said, the shine in her eyes returning, “How are the little ones?” It was no secret that Kou thought of herself as a ‘mother owl’ and had taken a liking to Tetsurou’s younger siblings.

“They’re fine. Still as annoying as ever,” Tetsurou said. “Oh, by the way, my mom says hi. You guys are her ‘little owlets.’” He put air quotes around ‘little owlets’.

“Awwww! That’s so cute!” Koutarou cooed. Even Akaashi cracked a small smile.

“Tell her we say hi as well Kuroo-san.”

“Will do! We still on to study tonight?”

“Do we still have that stupid chemistry test?”

“Yes Bokuto-san, we still have a test.”

“Awwwwww!!!! I can’t afford to fail another. Takeda-sensei’s gonna get me held back for sure! Akaashi, save me!” Koutarou flailed dramatically before slumping down on the smaller girl, who rolled her eyes with a fond smile before patting her head gently.

“It’s gonna be okay Bokuto-san. We’ll get through this.” Tetsurou smiled at the two girls, they really were cute together. As much as Akaashi tried to deny it, she had a major soft spot for the two-tone haired girl. And Bokuto? Well she was obviously in love with the stoic black haired girl and wanted the world to know it.

“Yeah, Kou. We’ll make sure you graduate with us.” Tetsurou said with a smile. The three happily turned the corner finding themselves in front of school. “Okay, see you in class!” Tetsurou said, walking away to give the two girls privacy.

“See ya soon!” Koutarou shouted back, while Akaashi mouthed a silent thank you as she put her arm around the loud girl and pulled her close.

As Tetsurou walked past the school gates, he noticed a couple of first year cheerleaders, Hinata and Kageyama, shouting at each other. There was another small girl next to them looking very uncomfortable as she silently walked away. “Look at them, already scaring people and class hasn’t even started yet.” He shook his head fondly at the two. He walked inside and caught sight of two other cheerleaders, a tall punk looking guy and a short brunette girl with a blonde streak in her bangs. “Hi Asahi, Noya.” He regarded each of them.

“Kuroo-senpai!” Noya shouted. She was about to jump on Kuroo to give him a hug when two strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in the air. “Asahi!!! Let me down!” She pouted.

“Yuu, you can’t just jump on people without warning. It’s not nice. Sorry Kuroo-senpai,” Asahi said, an embarrassed flush taking over his face.

“No worries, I’m used to people jumping on me out of the blue, Kou does it all the time.” Tetsurou chuckled at Noya’s pouty face and the fact that Asahi looked embarrassed enough for the both of them. The warning bell rang then, signaling five minutes to get to class.

“Shoot, Yuu. We gotta get to class. Can’t be late again!” Asahi put the girl down and the two picked up their bags. “Bye Kuroo-senpai.”

“See ya later Kuroo-senpai!”

“Bye guys!” Tetsurou dashed to class and took a seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for the comment shout-outs! I've decided to start doing these for people who ask questions or add constructive criticism.
> 
> Cat_Fujoshi: Thank you again so much for your question! I hope the answer I gave when I replied to your comment makes sense! I'm glad you like the story!
> 
> Josie: Thanks for the comment! I'm feeling tons better now. As for what happened with Daishou...well, he's a pretty bad guy. So keep reading to find out!
> 
> Thanks to all of my readers who take the time to leave comments or Kudos! You guys seriously rock and I don't know if I'd have the courage to finish this story without you.


	5. You're so cute...I mean hi, nice to meet you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsurou heads to practice expecting a normal day. But who is that cute girl sitting in the stands, and why is she being introduced as his new flyer?
> 
> More importantly, why is she so afraid of everything?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost two months between chapters. I have no excuses anymore. I am sorry for being awful and inadequate. This is the last background chapter before we really get into the meat of the story. If you guys remember Shoyo and Kenma's discussion at the beginning of chapter 3, this is the actual incident (as told from Tetsurou's point of view). I had fun writing this and I hope you guys really enjoy it. Next chapter will be back in Kenma's POV, which means it will probably be better. Writing in Tetsurou's POV is hard. Idk why, it just is. Kudos and comments make my life!!!

Tetsurou entered the gym for practice after finishing up his last class and looked around, spotting Bokuto and Akaashi pretty quickly. The silver streaked girl was bouncing around while the other was down in a split looking at her phone. He started walking toward them while looking around, stopping when he caught sight of a girl in the stands. _Hey, that’s the girl Hinata and Kageyama were bothering earlier,_ he thought. The girl was hugging herself with one arm while the other was ramrod straight, her blonde and brown hair covering her face. He was going to turn back around and keep walking when suddenly the girl looked up, locking eyes with him. Tetsurou winked, his usual flirty gesture, causing the girl to blush deeply before returning her gaze to the ground. He smirked, _Cute._ He continued walking up to Bokuto and Akaashi and had just made in when Daichi called out to start practice.

Everyone bantered like usual at the start, even when Coach Ukai and Takeda sensei entered late, like they always do. Then they were broken up for stunt practice, aka slack off time for Tetsurou and the two owl like girls who didn’t have a flier. Bokuto and him decided to run in circles around Akaashi while the black-haired girl checked for split ends in her hair. They continued hanging out until Suga walked up with the cute girl from earlier in tow. “This is Kozume Kenma. She’s Shoyo’s friend, new to cheerleading, and is going to be seeing if she wants to join the team. Kenma, this is Bokuto Koutarou.” Said girl gave an enthusiastic introduction that had Tetsurou chuckling. “This is Akaashi Keiji.” The black-haired girl gave a smile and gentle wave. “And this is-” Kenma’s eyes went wide as Suga gestured to Tetsurou.

“W-we have class together so I already know him,” the girl, Kenma, said. Tetsurou raised an eyebrow. _Surely I would have remembered a girl this cute in class,_ he thought. He tuned back in to the conversation when he heard Suga’s voice again.

“Take care of your provisional flier!” With that, the silver haired vice-captain moved gracefully back to her own stunt group. Kenma looked down at her shoes, carefully avoiding eye contact with Koutarou, who had begun shouting.

“You’re our new flier? That’s so exciting! Keiji, she’s so cute, I love her!” Kenma started looking more and more frightened as the taller girl moved closer, until Akaashi reached out and smacked her on the head. “Keiji, that hurt,” Koutarou whined, pouting.

“Please excuse her Kozume-san, she suffers from a lack of boundaries when it comes to meeting new people.” Keiji’s voice was dry and humorless. She turned to the other girl who was rubbing her head. “Bokuto-san, don’t scare people.”

The interaction forced a giggle out of Kenma and in a soft voice she said, “Call me Kenma.” This brought a grin to Tetsurou’s face.

“Let’s try a basic stunt ladies,” he said coolly, trying to look good in front of Kenma.

“W-wait! That r-requires you g-guys holding me up. R-Right?” Kenma sounds terrified.

“Yeah! But don’t worry, we’ve got you!” Koutarou smiles brightly, earlier pouting forgotten. Kenma’s eyes were still wary, the girl clearly not convinced.

“All you’re going to do in the air is hold your hands up like this.” Keiji raised her arms, demonstrating a high V. Kenma copied it, but her posture was sloppy. “Try lifting up through your chest and back, straightening your spine.” Keiji reached out but retracted her hand when Kenma flinched away. The ombre-haired girl however did what was told, her form becoming much tighter thus correcting her issues.

“Good job Kenma! Now let’s try it in the air,” Koutarou said, trying her best to lower her voice. Tetsurou nodded at Koutarou’s statement and smirked when Kenma blushed again. He took a small step forward and decided that as the backspot, he should explain to the new flier how the stunt works.

“Okay,” He said, wide golden snapping to look at him, “so I’m your backspot, which means that I’m going to be holding your ankles while you’re in the air. Kou and Akaashi,” he gestured to the girls, “are your bases. They hold your feet. When we start you’ll jump into their hands and we hoist you up, though it’ll help if you hoist yourself.” Kenma nodded lightly as Koutarou and Keiji moved on either side of her. They put their hands out to catch her feet, just like Tetsurou said.

“Put your hands on our shoulders so it’s easier to jump,” Koutarou said. Kenma nodded once again and complied. Tetsurou moved behind her and placed his hands on her waist. Kenma went completely rigid for a second before whipping around and slapping Tetsurou clean across the cheek.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“D-don’t touch me!”

“How am I supposed to boost you up?” Tetsurou took another step forward, only to get slapped again.

“I said don’t!”

“Kenma!” Shoyo shouted from her group. “They aren’t going to hurt you, so don’t worry!” Tetsurou’s gaze moved to the small girl who took a deep breath before squaring her shoulders.

“O-okay I’m ready to try. Don’t drop me please.”

“We’ll keep you safe, no worries.” Tetsurou’s voice grew serious, trying to convey that she could trust them. He replaced his hands on her waist and she put hers’ on the two owl girls’ shoulders. After talking through how the counts work, they got started. Getting up in the air was fairly easy, Kenma was extremely light and knew how to lift herself. She hit the high V properly and didn’t waver.

“Nice work. Ready to try coming down?” Keiji said.

“I-I guess so.”

“Okay. One, two!” Tetsurou counted as they dipped and popped her into the air. It seemed like all was going well until Kenma started flailing on the way down. The rest of the group moved to match their scared flier’s trajectory, Koutarou almost getting kicked in the face as she came down. In the end, the girls caught Kenma’s legs and Tetsurou caught her torso. He looked at her, noticing her wide, unfocused eyes. “Kenma, are you okay?” he said. Keiji and Koutarou set her on the ground, leaving her in Tetsurou’s arms. Kenma was frozen in place for a second before she started hyperventilating, startling the boy holding her. Tetsurou let go immediately, not wanting to frighten the girl further. After she calmed down, a deep red blush formed on her face as she realized what had happened.

“Bokuto-san, I’m so s-sorry. I didn’t mean to almost kick you!” Koutarou started giggling at that, telling the small girl that it was okay and she wasn’t hurt. Tetsurou was giggling too, though his was more subdued. _That reaction…It wasn’t how someone normally reacted to being caught after falling. And why did she freak out in the first place?_ He pondered the answers to those questions for a while until Koutarou’s loud voice pushed through.

“Wanna try again Kenma? It’ll be fun!”

“N-no thank you. I-I’ve had e-enough fun today.”

“Awwwww! But I liked basing for you!”

“Stop pouting Bokuto-san. You don’t want to scare her away.”

“I guess so. I hope you’ll come back and join up again Kenma.”

“M-maybe.” Tetsurou watched the girl shrink backward from the conversation. _She sure is beautiful, he thought. I wonder what happened to make her so afraid?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second installment of commenter corner!!! Here I give shout-outs to my wonderful commenters!!! (Probs spelled commenter wrong, but my betas have all disappear so Idfc anymore lol.
> 
> Ricchan29 - I really appreciated your comment on this as well as on my other story!!! I'm glad you like them and I hope that I can continue to make you happy as time goes on.
> 
> loversgirl - Awww, thanks! I feel so honored that you chose to read my story even though you usually don't like genderbends. I'm so glad you like it and especially that you enjoyed Kuroo and Bokuto's friendship, as I wanted to make sure that was done right. Sorry for surprising you and probably others with the danganronpa cast, but I needed to make Tetsurou's siblings but I didn't want a bunch of OCs. They have strong personalities so it all just made sense. Hope you continue to enjoy.


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